Work

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Organisational Commitment at a Selected TVET College in Gauteng, South Africa

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa continue to experience challenges related to staff commitment, organisational performance, and institutional effectiveness. These challenges highlight the need to better understand leadership approaches that sustain academic engagement and stability. This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational commitment among academic staff at a selected TVET college in Gauteng, South Africa. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory of Bass and Avolio, the study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 203 academic staff across six campuses using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS. The findings revealed low levels of organisational commitment among academic staff. While transformational leadership, as a composite construct, did not significantly predict organisational commitment, specific components—namely intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individualised consideration—showed significant positive relationships with organisational commitment. Theoretically, the study refines the application of transformational leadership theory within the TVET context by demonstrating that its components may operate differentially rather than as a unified construct in predicting organisational commitment. These findings challenge assumptions regarding the holistic predictive power of transformational leadership and extend leadership scholarship within under-researched TVET settings in developing-country contexts. Practically, the results provide evidence-based guidance for TVET management to design targeted leadership development interventions that emphasise specific transformational leadership behaviours to enhance academic staff commitment.

Source: Administrative Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/admsci16040191

Authors: Suzan Matsila, Mmakgabo Justice Malebana

Institution: Tshwane University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,689